With calculated care, Julius Lineback pieced together the rays of his first Moravian star, wooden pieces clacking together and sharp tips jutting out.
Dating back to a schoolhouse geometry lesson in 1830s Germany, this symbol of worship first came to America when groups of Moravians, including Lineback’s grandparents, settled in Pennsylvania and what would later become Winston-Salem. It wasn’t until years later, however, that the Moravian star made its first physical appearance in the area.
Using pyramid-shaped molds that he found in his accounting office, Lineback experimented until he had crafted a star with 26 rays, launching his career as Winston-Salem’s first and only star maker.
When he died at the age of 95 in 1930, his son Harry carried on the star-making tradition, by then an integral part of the holidays in Winston-Salem. Prompted by a letter to the editor of the Winston-Salem Journal, in 1959 city officials displayed 64 around downtown to celebrate Advent and provide a cheerful reminder of the city’s rich Moravian roots.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
